Home > Hampshire > Bursledon > Swan Hotel Swan Hotel
Date of photo: 1955	Picture source: Barry Taylor
The Swan Hotel was situated on the corner of Church Lane and Bridge Road. By 1889 the London and South West Railway (L&SWR) had extended the Southampton-Netley railway line to link up with Fareham, and Bursledon railway station was opened. The railway crossed in front of the pub and the embankment cut off the pubs view of the river, access now being under the railway arch to the road bridge (A27). The first Swan on this site stood on what was the car park, and faced the river. The pub had always been a very busy meeting place and was certainly so in the 1939/45 war, the landlord, Roderick Skiff, being a very popular man who commanded the local Home Guard. The Home Guard took part in night exercises with a troop of Commandos who were billeted locally. Frank Vemll, who had an engineering business in Deacon's Yard. was the man who once took a swan to the Swan! A half grown cygnet appeared at the yard, driven off by its parents. Frank fed it every day and made it a shelter under a boat. It followed him about, and so one day he tucked it under his arm and took it across to the bar, where it was given bread and water, and was photographed by a passing Echo man, appearing in the night's edition of the paper ... It left the yard eventually but returned some months later with its mate, and waddled ashore to see Frank ... evidently a very satisfied customer!
This pub was later known as The Yachtsman and has now been demolished and replaced by flats.
Source: Barry Taylor
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Date of photo: c1905	Picture source: Barry Taylor
Picture source: Barry Taylor